


Christmas shopping rush

by Steangine



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Christmas Time, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 09:32:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8974336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Steangine/pseuds/Steangine
Summary: Kuroko is helping Murasakibara searching for a present for Himuro. And Murasakibara thinks that Aomine is too stupid for Kuroko. [pre-relationship]





	

**Author's Note:**

> I'm happy about the fluffiness of this one shot. MuraMuro could be seen as frienship, but also as love relationship, it's up to you :)

Cold, lights, people walking against the stream in the streets. More than once the crowd washed Kuroko away and he ended up holding into Murasakibara’s coat. He was so tall and big that he split the crowd only by walking and Kuroko just had to tailgate him.

“There’s toooo many people. Why are they here?”

“For our very same reason, Murasakibara-kun. Christmas shopping.”

Murasakibara chewed on his lower lip with a visibly irritated frown, however he didn’t reply and stood in front of the main entrance of the shop, waiting for some of the customers to leave and make space for others to enter.

“Don’t worry.” Kuroko patted his arms. “We’ll manage to find something for Himuro-kun.”

“Yes, yes…”

When Murasakibara called him the previous day, Kuroko could have never imagined he would have asked him for help. He was lost, he didn’t know what to get as a Christmas present for Himuro even though it had been a month he had been looking for something. But strangely it was too difficult for him to spot something Himuro would have liked.

“You could have asked Kagami-kun for a hint.” Kuroko dared to say as the crowd pushed them into the shop.

Murasakibara growled in reply.

“I could ask him instead.”

Since Murasakibara didn’t growl back, Kuroko believed he agreed and took out the mobile from his pocket. It was difficult dialing the number while being pushed and pulled by the impatience of people around him and when Kagami opened the call, Kuroko was pressed against Murasakibara’s back.

“Oi Kuroko, s-sorry, but right now I’m quite busy. Could you call la–“

The phone-call was brutally cut down.

“Kagami-kun is an idiot.” Kuroko stated with a silent nod of agreement from Murasakibara. “We’ll make it on our own.”

But after half an hour they were already again outside the shop and without a single present or idea. Murasakibara was showing some signs of impatience as he turned his head around hoping for a divine sign to show him the right path.

As he was looking to the other side of the street, he caught sight of some familiar faces.

“Eh? Mine-chin and Kise-chin?”

Kuroko was checking the products showing from a shop-window and was distracted by his words. He looked in his same direction and it wasn’t difficult to spot them: Aomine was walking next to a Kise who couldn’t still hide his identity under the hat and sunglasses, while Kagami was right behind them and, judging by his scowl, it seemed like he was scolding them. Kise put an arm around Aomine’s shoulders, receiving a small tuck with the elbow, but he didn’t let him go.

Murasakibara glanced down at Kuroko, observed his blank stare and the silent small twitch of his eyebrows before he put on again an expressionless mask that didn’t give any space to investigate further. Despite this, Murasakibara patted on his head twice, receiving a puzzled look.

“Let’s go drink a hot chocolate. My treat, Kuro-chin.”

The café was small. Or probably it looked smaller because Murasakibara was so huge that he looked to occupy all the space around him. The huge cup filled with chocolate to its edge looked almost normal in comparison with his hands; Kuroko was pretty sure he would have died if he were to drink even half of the big sized chocolate Murasakibara ordered for him.

“Kuro-chin, drink it. You look pale.”

“I’m always like this, Murasakibara-kun.”

Kuroko blew on the smooth surface, creating tiny ripples. He took one sip and the warmth suddenly spread from his mouth to his stomach in a pleasant wave.

“Kuro-chin, are you mad?”

“Uh?”

“You were mad before, when you saw Mine-chin and the others.”

Kuroko hid himself behind the cup, drank again to wait a bit more before replying.

“I wasn’t.”

“Kuro-chin, I’m not stupid.”

Murasakibara made a small frown and put an entire biscuit inside his mouth. He didn’t take off his eyes from him even when he drank some chocolate. Kuroko tried to ignore his piercing gaze, but when he raised his eyes, Murasakibara was still in wait.

“I just… yesterday, before you called me, I asked Aomine if we could go out together for shopping. I need a new pair of shoes… and he told me he was busy with his parents. That’s all.”

The chocolate didn’t look as inviting as it was before and Kuroko didn’t know if he would have been able to drink it again. Murasakibara hummed a bit, staring at a point beyond Kuroko, then nodded.

“Kuro-chin, you’re clever, why do you like someone as stupid as Mine-chin?”

Kuroko froze on the spot.

“I don’t like him.” But the reply was a bit too fast. “He’s my friend as you are, Murasakibara-kun.”

“You’ve been liking him since middle school. Your eyes are always sparkling when you look at him.”

Murasakibara didn’t seem he was accusing or mocking him, it was a simple statement as if he was telling him that outside was freezing cold. Kuroko looked back at him without saying anything, as he didn’t know what to say; he felt his ears and cheeks warmer than he wanted and was afraid he was blushing.

“Mine-chin is stupid.” Murasakibara affirmed again. “And everyone else is stupid, nobody noticed it. Even Aka-chin.”

Kuroko didn’t know if that was an attempt of making him feel better. Even if it wasn’t, he sensed a smile tickling his cheeks and took another sip of hot chocolate.

“Thank you, Murasakibara-kun.”

 

*

 

Murasakibara looked at Himuro opening the present with the same nervous face he always gave his mother when she inspected his room looking for hidden sweets. He kept rubbing the palms of his hands on his trousers and looked so agitated that Liu, silently observing from the other side of the table, was afraid Murasakibara was going to collapse; despite his attempt of looking bored as always, he was fidgeting on the chair.

When Himuro finally revealed the present, a fluffy cushion in the shape of a smiling chef hat, Murasakibara held his breath and tried to catch a sign from the other boy’s face. Then, all of a sudden, Himuro burst into a cackle. Murasakibara flushed.

“I-I thought Muro-chin would…”

He and Kuroko were sure Himuro would have liked that, according on what both of them knew about him. Himuro was able to cook, he liked to cook and the cushion was both a cute and funny idea. Murasakibara didn’t know if he was annoyed or saddened by Himuro’s reaction.

“If you don’t like it, you–“

“Atsushi, I really love this.” He was speaking in between the laughs. “But– oh, you’ll realize it. Please, open mine.”

Himuro gave Murasakibara a package. The paper was of a deep purple and the ribbon of a shiny light blue; the pattern, tiny biscuits in shapes of Christmas socks and trees, was so cute that Murasakibara didn’t really want to ruin it. As he grasped it, he felt the softness of that unknown present, and he threw a puzzled glance at Himuro, who managed to turn the cackles into a huge smile. Murasakibara slowly opened it; he just unwrapped half of it when he saw a pair of cartoon eyes staring at him and, taking off the rest of the paper, he realized his present was a smiling donut-shaped cushion.

“We had pretty much the same idea. That’s why I laughed.”

Murasakibara scratched his head. “So, you like it?”

“Of course!”

“I have to tell Kuro-chin then.”

“Kuroko?” Himuro tilted his head.

“He helped me looking for your present.”

“I see.”

Murasakibara took his mobile just to put it on the table with a concerned expression.

“What’s wrong, Atsushi?”

“I shouldn’t call now. Today Kuro-chin is giving Mine-chin his Christmas present.”

“And what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that Mine-chin is stuuuuupid.”

Himuro exchanged a quick confused glance with Liu. The latter simply shrugged and kept reading his book, while Himuro smiled at Murasakibara.

“Since it’s Kuroko, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

 

*

 

It was freezing outside and Aomine was late.

Kuroko checked again the mobile: no new messages or missed calls. He started to think that Aomine forgot about him or ditched him, when he heard fretting footsteps running in his direction. From his left, Aomine arrived running so fast that he stopped too late and overcame the bench of few steps.

“Aomine-kun, I’m already here.”

Kuroko made sure to raise his voice, preventing Aomine from looking around for him.

“Oh, Tetsu! S-sorry!” His mouth was wrapped in the scarf and he was barely speaking, trying to recover his breath. He coughed twice and put a hand on his chest.

“Did you run?”

“Y-Yeah. I was helping my mom, didn’t check the clock.”

“Don’t worry.”

Aomine uncovered his mouth, the breath suddenly puffed in a small condensed white cloud.

“Man, it’s freezing. You wanna play basketball?”

It seemed like Aomine would have agreed if that was Kuroko’s intention.

“No, I just wanted to give you this.”

Kuroko shoved a hand in the pocket of his coat and took out a small package smaller than his palm. He tended it to Aomine, who had his eyes widened in surprise.

“This is my present. I saw it and thought you could have liked it. No programmed at all.”

It was a simple present. A small keychain which had a stunning resemblance to Nigou -even the same eyebrows- but instead of a basketball jersey, it was wearing a small Christmas pullover and a Christmas hat. Aomine stared at it as if he wasn’t believing his eyes.

“If you don’t like–“

“No! It’s fantastic!”

Aomine looked amazed and his eyes sparkled in the same way they did when he played basketball. Before Kuroko could realize what made him react like that, Aomine put inside his hands a very small package.

“Tetsu, I can’t believe it!”

_ What you can’t believe? _ Kuroko wanted to ask, but instead unwrapped the present. He was stunned.

“Oh.”

In his right hand he was holding the exact copy of the present he had just given to Aomine. Same size, same dog, same pullover, same hat. Same keychain. Kuroko gazed back at Aomine, who wasn’t smiling, yet his trembling eyes and reddish cheeks gave him a sparkle of happiness.

“I like this present, Aomine-kun. Thank you.”

Kuroko smiled and attacked the keychain to his mobile phone.

“You know, the other day I spent all the afternoon with Kise and Kagami, but they were useless. I found it this morning by chance.”

“Were you looking for a present for me?”

Aomine gulped, massaged the back of his head and diverted his eyes as if he was feeling guilty.

“Uhm… yes. I mean, last year we didn’t exchange presents and stuff… But it’s more like a gratitude token for… you know, everything.”

“I see.” Kuroko smiled. “Aomine-kun, I know a nice café nearby and their hot chocolate is delicious. Do you want to drop by?”

“Nice call! I’m freezing!” Aomine carefully hid the keychain inside a pocket of the coat. “I’ll hang it on the basketball bag.”

“Please, don’t lose it.”

“I won’t! Hey, Tetsu. All this presents-and-chocolate stuff is bizarre. Almost looks like a date.” Aomine chuckled over his words. “Not that this is a date. I mean, we’re friends. Just saying…”

“Of course, we are friends, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko reassured him. “I appreciated the thought.”

That evening Kuroko explained what happened to Murasakibara in a text message and received a single sentence-reply.

_ I think Mine-chin is infecting Kuro-chin with his stupidity. _

**Author's Note:**

> Murasakibara knows. It's an headcanon of mine that he knows Kuroko loves Aomine and Aomine is too stupid to realize he loves Kuroko back.  
> I'm finally back, this one shot brought me out the deep pit of "I can't write a thing" I fell into. I hope all of you are having a pleasant end of the year (western end of the year) wherever you are :)


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